The Bridge World

MASTER SOLVERS CLUB

Scores for the March 2023 Contest

Problem A

Matchpoints
East-West vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ Q J 9 8

♥ J 9 4 2

♦ K J 10 7

♣ 7

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
——	1 ♦	2 ♣	2 ♦^*
Pass	Pass	Double	Pass
?

^*under invitational strength

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
Pass	100	19	60
2 ♠	70	5	13
2 ♥	60	3	12
2 NT	50	1	10
3 NT	30	0	0
3 ♦	20	0	5
else	0	0	0

Problem B

Matchpoints
Neither side vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ K 9 6 3 2

♥ 4

♦ A Q 9 5 3

♣ 9 2

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
Pass	Pass	Pass	1 ♣
1 ♠	Double	2 ♣	2 ♥
?^*

^*By agreement, 2 ♠ = weakest action.

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
3 ♦	100	18	56
Pass	80	7	15
2 ♠	60	2	23
4 ♠	60	1	2
3 ♠	50	0	2
Double	0	0	1
else	0	0	1

Problem C

Imps
Neither side vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ K J 10 8 4 3

♥ A 6 3

♦ —

♣ A J 7 6

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
1 ♠	Pass	2 ♥	Pass
?

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
3 ♥	100	12	51
2 ♠	90	10	18
3 ♣	60	4	15
4 ♦	60	2	14
3 ♠	0	0	1
else	0	0	1

Problem D

Imps
Both sides vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ K Q 10 7

♥ A Q

♦ 4 3 2

♣ A K 9 4

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
1 ♣	1 ♥	Pass	Pass
?

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
1 NT	100	25	72
1 ♠	60	3	5
Double	40	0	19
2 NT	0	0	3
Pass	0	0	1
else	0	0	0

Problem E

Imps
Both sides vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ A K Q 6 5 4

♥ —

♦ K

♣ A K J 9 3 2

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
——	——	Pass	Pass
2 ♣	Pass	2 ♦	Pass
2 ♠	Pass	3 ♥^*	Pass
4 ♣	Pass	4 ♦	Pass
?

^*BWS: denies double-negative

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
6 ♣	100	12	48
4 ♠	70	7	22
5 ♣	70	3	22
4 ♥	70	1	1
7 ♣	60	4	2
4 NT	50	1	1
5 ♥	50	0	1
5 ♠	10	0	1
5 NT	0	0	1
6 ♠	0	0	1
else	0	0	0

Problem F

Imps
Neither side vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ —

♥ A J 10 7 4 2

♦ A 5 3

♣ A J 9 4

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
——	——	1 ♣	1 ♠
2 ♥	3 ♠	4 ♥	Pass
?

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
4 ♠	100	12	71
5 ♣	90	3	5
6 ♣	80	4	1
5 ♠	70	5	5
6 ♥	50	4	11
5 ♦	10	0	0
4 NT	0	0	3
5 NT	0	0	3
Pass	0	0	2
else	0	0	0

Problem G

Imps
Neither side vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ A

♥ A J 8 6 4 3

♦ 9 4 3

♣ A K Q

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
——	——	Pass	Pass
1 ♥	Pass	2 ♣^*	Pass
?

^*BWS: invitational-plus heart raise

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
2 ♦	100	10	9
3 ♣	90	7	30
2 NT	80	2	2
3 ♦	80	1	1
3 ♠	70	4	16
4 ♣	70	1	0
4 ♥	60	3	20
4 ♦	40	0	0
2 ♠	0	0	15
3 ♥	0	0	4
4 NT	0	0	2
else	0	0	1

Problem H

Imps
Neither side vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ J 6 2

♥ J 10 4

♦ A Q 3

♣ J 8 6 2

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
——	1 ♣	Pass	1 ♥
Pass	3 ♣	Pass	3 NT
Pass	Pass	Pass

What is your opening lead?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
♦ A	100	11	19
♦ Q	90	7	15
♥ J	80	5	10
♥ 4	70	1	0
♠ 2	60	4	39
♠ 6	0	0	8
♠ J	0	0	7
♣ 2	0	0	1
else	0	0	1

MSC CONTEST

These are the scores that were assigned to the problems, as well as the number of votes each solution received from our expert panel, and the approximate percentage of solvers' answers.

See the March issue of The Bridge World to read the panel's in-depth discussion of these contest problems—see how each expert answered and learn how they came to their decisions.